Fence Top Rail and Customizable Fence Mid Rail

ABSTRACT

A top rail and customizable mid rail having a bottom side longitudinal track extending the length of the rail for holding the top portion of at least one planar article taken from the group of sheet, panel, board, plank, slat, and lath while optionally providing that the planar article provides outward projections within that portion contained within the top-rail track providing for potential linear movement while preventing vertical movement. Further providing for a customizable topside that is machine customizable to receive a either a planar article taken from the group of sheet, panel, board, plank, slat, and lath or a plurality of stanchions taken from the group of picket, post, pole rod, bar, shaft, bar, and lath and supported on a substantially co-planar platform interiorly extending the length of the rail spaced apart from the topside separating the interior cavity into a stanchion supporting portion and a structurally reinforced portion.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is subject to U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/864,032 filed 2 Nov. 2006.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to fences and, more specifically, to a fence rail having a bottom side longitudinal track extending the length of the rail for holding the top portion of at least one planar article taken from the group of sheet, panel, board, plank, slat, and lath while optionally providing that the planar article provides outward projections within that portion contained within the top-rail track providing for potential linear movement while preventing vertical movement.

Additionally provided for is a customizable topside that is machine customizable to receive either a planar article taken from the group of sheet, panel, board, plank, slat, and lath or a plurality of stanchions taken from the group of picket, post, pole rod, bar, shaft, bar, and lath and supported on a substantially co-planar platform interiorly extending the length of the rail spaced apart from the topside separating the interior cavity into a stanchion supporting portion and a structurally reinforced portion.

Furthermore, the present invention provides that the bottom-rail track may include rail distal end tabs to contain the planar article in a fixed state when assembled thereby enabling prior assemblage of sections shipped to a job site as modular units.

2. Description of the Prior Art

There are other fences designed for modular assembly. While these fences may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.

Therefore, it is felt that a need exist for a fence bottom rail having the aforementioned properties.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an extruded fence rail with a longitudinal track for retaining slats therein forming a fence top rail.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a longitudinal fence rail having a base with conjoined spaced apart walls vertically depending to inwardly projecting flanges that edgewise terminate in an upwardly projecting lip.

Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a track consisting of a U-shaped channel having a planar top with each leg extending upwardly from a respective flange forming support for a plurality of vertically extending slats.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a top rail and/or customizable fence mid rail having an interior longitudinal wall formed within the top half of the interior cavity providing a fence topper support portion and bottom picket/slat support portion.

Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a fence top rail wherein said slat/picket portion is customizable through machining at least one aperture of appropriate shape to receive a predetermined slat/picket with the internal longitudinal wall serving as support for said slat/picket.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a customizable fence rail where the aforementioned aperture has a peripheral rim that serves to reinforce the slat/picket from lateral displacement.

Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds.

The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a fence rail having a bottom side longitudinal track extending the length of the rail for holding the top portion of at least one planar article taken from the group of sheet, panel, board, plank, slat, and lath while optionally providing that the planar article provides outward projections within that portion contained within the top-rail track providing for potential linear movement while preventing vertical movement.

Additionally provided for is a customizable topside that is machine customizable to receive a either a planar article taken from the group of sheet, panel, board, plank, slat, and lath or a plurality of stanchions taken from the group of picket, post, pole rod, bar, shaft, bar, and lath and supported on a substantially co-planar platform interiorly extending the length of the rail spaced apart from the topside separating the interior cavity into a stanchion supporting portion and a structurally reinforced portion.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which forms a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawings, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views.

The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, it will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an illustrative view of the extruded fence rail of the present invention in use;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the extruded fence rail of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the extruded bottom fence rail of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded isometric view of the metal stiffener removed from extruded bottom fence rail of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the metal stiffener partially inserted into the bottom fence rail of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the extruded bottom fence rail of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCED NUMERALS

Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, the figures illustrate the Extruded Fence Rail of the present invention. With regard to the reference numerals used, the following numbering is used throughout the various drawing figures.

-   -   10. Extruded Fence Top Rail and mid rail of the present         invention     -   12. fence slats     -   14. fence bottom rail     -   16. fence rail wall     -   18. wall interior surface     -   20. fence rail base     -   22. base interior surface     -   24. fence rail flange     -   26. flange bottom surface     -   28, flange lip     -   30. track     -   32. track wall     -   34. track wall exterior surface     -   36. track base     -   38. track wall brace     -   40. mid rail aperture     -   42 mid rail aperture rim     -   44. mid rail topper     -   46. track slot tab

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The following discussion describes in detail one embodiment of the invention (and several variations of that embodiment). This discussion should not be construed, however, as limiting the invention to those particular embodiments, practitioners skilled in the art will recognize numerous other embodiments as well. For definition of the complete scope of the invention, the reader is directed to appended claims.

Referring to FIG. 1, shown is the fence top rail and customizable fence mid rail. Depicted is top rail 10 having walls 16 depending from topside wall 20 having track 30 positioned therebetween. Topside wall 20 can be used as a top rail for slat 12 extending from bottom rail 14 as shown in FIG. 1 or as a mid rail shown in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 2 shown is the extruded top rail 10 used as a customizable mid rail having walls 16 with topside wall 20 that is machine customizable through aperture 40 routing having aperture rim 42 to receive a plurality of stanchions taken from the group of picket, post, pole rod, bar, shaft, bar, and lath and supported on a substantially co-planar platform 22 while track 30 is fixedly positioned to the top end of pickets/slats 12 extending from bottom rail 14.

Referring to FIG. 3 shown is an end view of the fence top rail and customizable fence mid rail. The interiorly extending the length of the rail spaced apart from the topside separating the interior cavity into a stanchion supporting portion and a structurally reinforced portion. The top fence rail 10 has longitudinal track 30 extending the length of fence rail 10 with the longitudinal track 30 having track base 36 for retaining a plurality of fence slats 12 therein. Walls 34 of fence rail 10 have a pair of interiorly extending flanges 24 spaced from track base 36 encompassing the upper portions of slats 12 as reinforcement from lateral forces. Also shown are flanges 24 having upwardly projecting lips 28 preventing slat with outward projections (not shown) from vertical displacement from track 30. The present invention further provides that track base 36 can be punched approximate rail 10 distal ends forming tabs 46 retaining slats 12 therebetween thereby enabling a fence section to be factory assembled and shipped to the job site as modular units reducing the manpower needed to install a fence

Referring to FIG. 4 shown is an end view of the fence top rail and customizable fence mid rail. The interiorly extending the length of the rail spaced apart from the topside separating the interior cavity into a stanchion supporting portion and a structurally reinforced portion. The top fence rail 10 has longitudinal track 30 extending the length of fence rail 10 with the longitudinal track 30 having track base 36 for retaining a plurality of fence slats 12 therein. Walls 34 of fence rail 10 have a pair of interiorly extending flanges 24 spaced from track base 36 encompassing the upper portions of slats 12 as reinforcement from lateral forces. Also shown are flanges 24 having upwardly projecting lips 28 preventing slat with outward projections (not shown) from vertical displacement from track 30. The present invention further provides that track base 36 can be punched approximate rail 10 distal ends forming tabs 46 retaining slats 12 therebetween thereby enabling a fence section to be factory assembled and shipped to the job site as modular units reducing the manpower needed to install a fence.

Referring to FIG. 5, shown is a cross sectional view of the top rail and customizable fence mid rail of the present invention. As illustrated, the top rail 10 of the present invention has track base 36 that can be punched approximate rail 10 distal ends forming tabs 46. The formed tabs 46 provide means to secure slats 12 and thus allow the fence section to be factory assembled and shipped to the job site as a completed section. In turn, less manpower is needed to install the fence.

Referring to FIG. 6, shown are illustration of the top rail and customizable fence mid rail of the present invention. Illustrated are various view showing the top rail and customizable fence mid rail deployed with various styles of fence. the fence top rail and customizable fence mid rail 10 can be used as a top rail cap in conjunction with bottom rail 14 having slats 12 therebetween. Also shown is the rail used as a mid rail whereby the top surface can be routed to receive a topper 44.

The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Although exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the claims. The invention is defined by the claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein. 

1. An extruded top fence rail comprising: a) a housing having a top side with depending side wall therebetween; b) a longitudinal track extending the length of the bottom side positioned between said side walls; and c) an interiorly positioned wall extending the length of the fence top rail portion for selective routing for insertion therein of a fence topper.
 2. The extruded top fence rail as recited in claim 1, wherein the bottom side track comprises a pair of walls extending from bottomside flanges with the walls conjoining to form a transverse platform with said flanges partially extending over said track walls.
 3. The extruded top fence rail as recited in claim 2, wherein said track has a pair of braces positioned between the exterior track wall and housing interior wall for the length of the rail.
 4. The extruded top fence rail as recited in claim 3 further providing at least one depending tab formed within the longitudinal track approximate the track distal end as a track stop.
 5. The extruded top fence rail as recited in claim 4, wherein said tab is formed at each track distal end to retain planar articles therebetween.
 6. The extruded top fence rail used as a mid rail whereby the top surface can be customized to receive a fence topper.
 7. The extruded top fence rail as recited in claim 6 wherein said topper is taken from the group of sheet, panel, board, plank, slat, and lath. 